How to Change Your Mind: Should Psychedelic Drugs be Legal?
Why are psychedelics so different to other drugs and what makes them so much better?
Recently, it appears that psychedelics have received an increase in usage and interest, both recreationally and medically and there’s no surprise to as why. We appear to be in the midst of a psychedelic renaissance as research into the area is beginning to develop rapidly.
Apologies that I haven’t posted in a while, I haven’t been writing much over the past couple of weeks because I was exploring Europe and visiting as many cities as possible!
The time I spent in Amsterdam is what inspired me to write about this topic; the forgiving laws regarding recreational drugs in Amsterdam intrigued me immensely.
As you probably know most ‘soft’ drugs in Amsterdam are legal, such as cannabis, hash, magic truffles and peyote cactus. The Dutch try as much as possible to decriminalize the use of drugs, making it a private matter of each individual, not a matter of government enforcement.
But how did their society function with these laws in place, was everybody lying around stoned, with no motivation, just watching the world crumble around them?
Surprisingly no, quite the opposite in fact! Well yes, practically everybody was stoned, the smell of weed stifled the streets but everything and everyone seemed to be functioning very efficiently.
Despite all the smoke dispersing off the joints that everyone was lighting up, the Netherlands was recently ranked as Europe’s greenest country and this doesn’t surprise me in the slightest!
During my stay there I think I could count the number of cars I saw on one hand. Absolutely EVERYBODY is cycling, which is amazing unless you are a pedestrian trying to get to the other side of the street because in that case, it becomes a real-life game of crossy roads.
Anyway, I’m going off on a slight tangent so long story short; Amsterdam …
Psychedelic Drugs = legal
Society = good.
Ever since this visit, I have been researching deeper into the world of psychedelics, and from what I’ve uncovered both the science behind psychedelics and the reviews of them appear to be amazingly positive for the most part.
What are Psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a subclass of drugs with hallucinogenic properties whose primary effect is to trigger extraordinary states of consciousness. The word psychedelic translates literally as “mind manifesting/mind revealing.”
They differ from other opiates and more common class A substances in the sense that their usage offers a more alternative and psychoactive experience.
There are 4 primary psychedelic compounds: mescaline, LSD, psilocybin and DMT.
Psychedelic compounds have the ability to bring aspects of the mind that are not normally accessible, into the field of awareness.
The Effects of Psychedelics
Psychedelics can offer an experience very personal to each individual, the effects vary depending on the person. Other factors such as dosage, environment, company and personality can also greatly impact how they affect an individual.
Effects of psychedelic compounds can include:
- Altered state of consciousness
- Heightened awareness and understanding
- Nausea
- Spiritual experiences/awakenings
- Altered perception of time
- Feelings of euphoria
- Vivid sensory experiences
- Hallucinations such as feeling sensations, hearing sounds or seeing images that aren’t real.
It should be noted that psychedelic compounds can cause some undesirable effects too but nothing as serious as what some people often imagine. It can be riskier for some people who have pre-existing heart conditions or mental disorders.
Some of the side effects include; nausea, vomiting, headaches, paranoia and high blood pressure.
Why should psychedelics be legal?
A review of existing literature and research by Sam Gandy outlines some of the amazing potential benefits of psychedelics. Psychedelics are unlike so many other illicit drugs and it is for the following reasons that I believe legalization should be considered.
1. They have extreme benefits that are potentially life-changing.
Research has uncovered that the use of psychedelics in the right environment can result in long-lasting benefits such as increases in;
- Overall well-being
- Life satisfaction
- Life meaning
- Creativity
- Prosocial behaviour
- Healthy physiological functioning
Many believe the common misconception that the use of psychedelics can result in mental health-related issues, BUT studies now actually suggest that the opposite is likely to be true!
A population study of 130,000 adults in the US failed to find any evidence for a link between usage of classical psychedelics and mental health problems. Psychedelic usage may in fact confer mental health benefits. (Johansen & Krebs, 2015).
2. Extremely positive repercussions on mental health and even society as a whole.
WARNING: these findings may surprise you and I hope they do because I know I was certainly amazed by them; they are immensely different when put into comparison with other illicit drugs.
These findings were taken as a summary from a 2015 paper by Hendricks, Thorne & Clarke:
- Lifetime use of psychedelics has been associated with significantly reduced odds of psychological distress
- Lifetime usage has reduced suicidal planning and the likelihood of suicide attempts among individuals.
- Psychedelic usage has also been associated with reduced odds of antisocial & criminal behaviour.
3. They are NOT addictive
Contrary to popular belief, psychedelic substances are not addictive. Unlike other drugs, these compounds do not lead to addiction or dependence and have a very low physiological toxicity. Many of the psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin and mescaline are derived from plants and are therefore a lot more natural.
The reason behind their lack of addictiveness is due to the specific brain regions which are fired upon consumption. In a simplified explanation, they act upon serotonin receptors in the brain as opposed to dopaminergic systems. The latter is what causes many other substances to be highly addictive, dopamine is released and the brain is left desiring more.
4. They can make you more creative and EVEN smarter
Psychedelics have been implicated to promote neural plasticity in the brain (the neural network’s ability to change through reorganization and growth).
Neuroplasticity is believed to be a key mechanism in adaptation and learning;
Psychedelic usage may help facilitate creative pursuits (Sessa, 2008) and both artists and scientists have reported valuable insights as a result of psychedelic experiences.
There are so many additional benefits and positives about psychedelics I haven’t even begun to touch on. The extent of their capabilities is still largely unknown as research has been limited due to obvious legal reasons in the past. But….
If you would like to learn even more about psychedelics, give this article a clap, leave a comment and drop me a follow and I will be sure to publish another.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read!
- Raphael :)
